GOP candidates weigh in: Does Obama love America?

For a second week, the question of whether President Obama loves America continues to be asked of the Republicans with their eye on the White House.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a frequent Obama critic, answered the query Sunday but declined to criticize former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani for sparking this debate.

"I have no doubt that he loves his country," Graham, R-S.C., said about Obama on ABC's This Week. "I have no doubt that he's a patriot. But his primary job as president of the United States is to defend this country and he's failing miserably."

Giuliani, who ran for president in 2008, has not backed down from comments made last week at a dinner in which Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a likely GOP presidential contender, was in attendance. In interviews Saturday, Walker declined to answer the question about Obama.

"You should ask the president what he thinks about America," Walker told the Associated Press while attending a National Governors Association meeting in Washington. "I've never asked him so I don't know."

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who is being encouraged to seek the White House, didn't directly answer the question about Obama and seemed to defend Giuliani for expressing frustration with Obama's leadership.

"I don't think it helps to question the president's patriotism or motives," Pence said on Fox News Sunday, adding that he believes Giuliani is a "great American." The governor chided Obama, who has been criticized by some conservatives for his recent remarks on terrorists and violent extremism.

"The American people are justifiably upset with a president who lectures us on the Crusades, but is unwilling to call Islamic extremism by name," Pence said.

Giuliani's comments last week seemed to engulf the nascent 2016 presidential campaign, in large part because they were made in the presence of Walker — who won rave reviews for his speech last month in Iowa where many GOP presidential hopefuls were the main attraction.

The White House denounced Giuliani's remarks as "horrible," while Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz urged Republicans to speak out against them.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal defended Giuliani, issuing a statement saying the "gist" of what the former mayor said is true.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, meanwhile, told a Florida TV station that he does believe Obama loves America, but added "his ideas are bad." Rubio also told WPBF that he believes he doesn't have to "answer for every person in my party that makes a claim."

"I can't get into his head — or, for that matter, his soul — about what he thinks about this country," former Texas governor Rick Perry told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt in a Friday interview. "I think the president in his mind loves this country, but his policies and what his policies are doing to this country, is my concern. I can't get into his mind, but I can get into his policies ... and his policies are dangerous for America."

In a Friday interview with WAVE-TV in Louisville, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul criticized Giuliani. "It's a mistake to question people's motives," Paul said. "It's one thing to disagree on policy."

Jeb Bush said through a spokeswoman that he doesn't question Obama's motives, but does question the president's policies.